Round 2- DoningtonRace 2 - Qualifying
Team Ultimate were back to their old ways. Furious at a lack of pace yesterday, the mechanics were set to work on the car - and BANG! A front row lock-out for the squad, with Michael Prost taking his first pole position in the RTCC. Giovanardi lines up third on the grid, with Thorne 4th, and Lutz 5th for Phoenix Audi. Ben Fleet will be happy with 5th position, Paul Jenkins pulled the improved Renault to 8th on the grid, while Yeun-Ching Leung lines up 10th, a personal best. Race 1 winner Garry Jones couldn't manage anything better than 22nd on the grid, while Rydell will be dissapointed to not be at the front like Giovanardi. Rafael Modena and Rck Tyryn line up 34th and 35th.
Race 2Menu: Er, Hello and welcome to ITV PMMT's coverage of the RTCC. Coming up is Race 2 of Round 2 at Donnington. For those wondering where my co-commentator, Edward Bens, is, he's having some slight toilet trouble. When I say slight, I mean torrential brown rain, a la Monaco 84. Michael Prost lines up on pole today, after being the fourth different pole-sitter in 4 races. Can Cave Johnson alongside him make it 4 different winners from as many different races? Or can Prost or Giovanardi claim their second win of the season? We'll find out soon, as the cars round the hairpin on their formation lap.
Bens: Yes, and what a race it's going to be Jean. I was just caught up on the grid making my way to the commentary box...
Menu: *mirth*
Bens: What? What did you about my *whisper* predicament?
Menu: Errrm.....nothing.... *uncontrollable laughter*
Bens: Hmmnnnn. Why don't I believe you?
Menu: *Silence*
Bens: Anyway, the man waves his green flag, that's the signal to start the race. One red light, Two red lights, Three red lights, Four red lights, Five Red Lights...... AND IT'S GO GO GO! Johnson gets a poor start.... GREAT START FROM GIOVANARDI! Streams past Johnson.. Thorne's all over the back of the American! Into the first corner...Prost's pulling away! And they all get through safely... what a great start from Giovanardi Jean!
Menu: Yes Ed, on the throttle at the right moment, no wheelspin, and a poor start from Jonson helped him out.
Bens: As we go under the Dunlop Bridge now, Giovanardi's right on the back of Prost, Johnson's dropped back a bit, and Giovanardi has a look under braking! Through the chicane, Prost shuts the door, moves to the right..... leaves the door open, GIOVANARDI'S DOWN THE INSIDE! Andd... and... he's THROUGH, BUT, Prost is still alongside him, he has the inside for the last corner, Giovanrdi shuts the door, CONTACT! PROST OUTBRAKES HIMSELF! Contact with Giovanardi's driver's side door.... both cars still on track though, with Giovanardi pulling away a little down the straight!
Menu: Two uncharacteristic mistakes from Prost there, and he's handed Giovanrdi the lead. He'll be annoyed with that, Ed, but you can't focus on mistakes otherwise things can go downhill. He'll be trying to keep Johnson behind now, and focus on catching Giovanardi
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Lap 3Menu: Giovanardi leads by two seconds now. He's do- Zimmer makes a move!
Bens: SIDE BY SIDE DOWN THE MAIN STRAIGHT! Can Zimmer keep it together? HE CAN! And sets off after Prost!
Menu: He's gaining on Prost through the Craner Curves Ed, and he's right on Prost's tail under the Bridge...
Bens: AND HE MAKES A MOVE ! DOWN THE INSIDE INTO MCLEAN'S! Andd.... he makes it stick! Zimmer up into second position!
Menu: He launched that one from far back, Ed, Prost just ddin't see it coming...
Bens: And as the field come under the Dunlop bridge, Giovanardi still leads by 2.5 seconds, from Zimmer and Prost, with Leung in 5th! What a drive from her!
Menu: Spinner under braking! Who's that?
Bens: IT'S LUDWIG!
Menu: And here's a replay..... Right.... there's Carrington-Smythe on the left... He just touches Sutherland in front, and is hit from behind, and round he goes..
Bens: He was in 15th place... It was Cleland who hit him! Well, Klaus has kept the engine running, and rejoins inlast place....
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Lap 8Bens: As we cross the line to start Lap 9, Giovanardi leads by 4 seconds from Zimmer and Prost, with Johnson a further 4 seconds back. Carrington-Smythe is up to 5th, with Leung in 6th, Gheorghiu in 7th, Nurmovitsch in 8th, Fleet in 9th and Richie White in 10th position.....
Menu: White in the points for the first time! He'll be looking to keep oput of trouble Ed, and to bring the Volvo home in one piece for a large points haul for his team.
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Lap 10Bens: Zimmer's cut down Giovanardi's lead down to 2.4 seconds now... Prost is right behind him across the line... AND PROST PULLS OUT!
Menu: Can he keep it together....Zimmer's left no room... it's going to be tight...ooohh.. he's done it!
Bens: AND PROST IS NOW IN SECOND PLACE!
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Lap 12Bens: As we ride on board with Cae Johnson... he's just got past Carrington-Smythe, and he's got Fleet a second in front of him.
Menu: Yes Ed, and Johnson has been lapping about 1 second quicker than Prost and Fleet, he can do it.
Bens: CONTACT! IT'S FLEET AND LEUNG! Fleet made an oppurtunistic move into Coppice, and they scraped wide... AND JOHNSON GOES THROUGH! Up into 4th position!
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Lap 15Bens: And Giovanardi rounds the final turn, to win Race 2 by 4 seconds ahead of Zimmer, with Prost crossing the line fourth and Johnson fifth. No pole sitter has run a race this season, Jean.
Menu: Yes, it shows you just how competitive the field is and how close the racing has been this year - Hermann Mann must be very pleased.
Post-raceBens: Here is Herman Mann. Hello Hermann
Mann: Guten Abend.
Menu: So, Hermann, what have you thought of the races so far?
Mann: I have been very impresched with the rasching scho far, Jean, Team Ultimate und Martini Nishan Rashing have done eine good jod scho far
Menu: Who has impressed you so far this season, Hermann?
Mann: Michael Prost hasch done a good job, and Klaus Ludwig hasch been very impreshive.
Menu: He's only scored 7 points, Hermann...
Mann: Ja, but his car isch sponsored by meine favourite drinke, die Jagermeister, you see?
Menu: Right..... Hermann, did you seen Ed leave?
Mann: Ja, he said he had eine pressing meeting, Jean.
Menu: *mirth*
Mann: What?
Menu: I'd give the toilet a miss if I were you.....
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Driver's Championship1: Michael Prost - 55pts
2:Cave Johnson - 54pts
3: Fabrizio Giovanardi - 50pts
4: Ben Fleet - 44pts
5: John Zimmer - 33pts
6: Robbie Thorne - 32pts
=: Rob Collard - 30pts
8: Garry Jones - 27pts
9: Catalin Gheorghiu - 20pts
= Michael Bartels - 20pts
11: Jody Radcliffe - 18pts
12: Nathan Nurmester - 17pts
13: Uwe Alzen - 16pts
= Rory McGatley - 16pts
15: Hywel Jones - 15pts
16: Rck Tyryn - 14pts
17: Nickolai Nurmovitsch - 12pts
18: Percival Carrington-Smythe - 11pts
19: Yeun-Ching Leung - 9pts
= Keiran Sutherland - 9pts
21:Mike Burns - 8pts
22: Klaus Ludwig - 7pts
= Rickard Rydell - 7pts
= Aurelienn Moll - 7pts
= Thomas De Bock - 7pts
26: Robert Anderson - 6pts
27: Paul Jenkins - 5pts
= Rafael Modena - 5pts
29: Martin McFry - 4pts
= Richie White - 4pts
31: Florence Briggs - 3pts
= John Cleland - 3pts
33: Theo Lutz - 1pt
Teams Championship1: Team Ultimate - 149pts
2: MNR - 58pts
3: TART - 48pts
4: Zakspeed - 43pts
5: Prism -40pts
6: Kickert - 33pts
7: McGatley - 30pts
8:Nurminen - 29pts
= Astral - 29pts
10: Sweetcorn - 27pts
11: Phoenix - 24pts
12: Wales - 21pts
13: Renault - 16pts
14: ECB - 14pts
15: TGWORY - 7pts
Manufacturer's Cup1: Nissan (Primera) - 91pts
2: Ford (Mondeo) - 71pts
3: Volvo (S40) - 33pts
= Holden (Vectra) - 33pts
5: Vauxhall (Vectra) - 32pts
6: BMW (320) - 30pts
7: Audi (A4) - 24pts
8: Peugoet (406) - 14pts
9: Renault (Laguna) - 13pts
Kwik-Fit Independant's Cup1: Ben Fleet - 44pts
2: John Zimmer - 33pts
3: Garry Jones - 27pts
4: Catalin Gheorghiu - 20pts
= Michael Bartels - 20pts
6: Nathan Nurmester - 17pts
7: Uwe Alzen - 16pts
= Rory McGatley - 16pts
9: Hywel Jones - 15pts
10: Rck Tyryn - 14pts
11: Nickolai Nurmovitsch - 12pts
12: Yeun-Ching Leung - 9pts
= Keiran Sutherland - 9pts
14: Klaus Ludwig - 7pts
15: Robert Anderson - 6pts
16: Martin McFry - 4pts
= Richie White - 4pts
18: Florence Briggs - 3pts
Daily Star Independant's Championship1: TART - 48pts
2: Zakspeed - 43pts
3: Kickert - 33pts
4: McGatley - 30pts
5:Nurminen - 29pts
= Astral - 29pts
7: Sweetcorn - 27pts
8: Wales - 21pts
9: Taiwan - 9pts
10: TGWORY - 7pts
So, what do you all think of the championship so far? Do you like the commentary?